Tale of the Weekend
 
VICTORIA – Two of the hottest teams in the Canada West conference will end their seasons going head-to-head when the UVic Vikes women's basketball team and their biggest rival, the UBC T-Birds, play a home-and-home set against each other on Feb. 1 and 2.
 
The teams will play in Victoria on Thursday, Feb. 1 before heading to Vancouver the very next night, both games will get underway at 6 p.m. and the outcomes will determine much more than the usual rivalry game bragging rights.
 
For the second year in a row Canada West will have schools qualify for the post-season based on their records, but will then determine playoff seeding based on a team's RPI due to the fact that the league plays an unbalanced schedule.
 
While the Vikes 10-game winning streak has them holding a record of 14-4, tied for third in the conference, their current RPI of .5745 is the fifth-best in the conference, one spot shy of a bye into the second round of the playoffs.
 
The T-Birds have also been on fire of late and come into the final week of the regular season on a six-game winning streak of their own. UBC's record of 10-8 has clinched them a playoff spot and their RPI of .5327 is just two places behind the Vikes.
 
UBC swept the Vikes last season, securing a win of 81-62 in Victoria before completing the sweep with a 93-85 overtime victory in Vancouver the next night.
 
Last Time Out
 
Both the Vikes and T-Birds kept their respective winning streaks going last weekend, though not without some drama in Victoria.
 
A deceptively tough Mount Royal Cougars team stormed into CARSA and hung with the Vikes, though the home team ultimately came out on top by scores of 85-75 and 85-82. Fourth-year guards Amira Giannattasio and Kristy Gallagher scored 54 and 45 points respectively over the weekend.
 
The T-Birds had an easier time of it, picking up wins of 82-55 and 66-48 over the last place UBC Okanagan Heat in Kelowna, B.C.
 
By the Numbers
 
18.8: The number of points per game Madison Penn scores for UBC, the second-most in the conference.
8: The Vikes current 10 game winning streak is their longest in the last eight seasons.
13: The Vikes boast one of the top offences in the conference, scoring 76 points per game, 13 more than the T-Birds.
 
Coach's Take
Dani Sinclair, Vikes head coach
 
"You just have to control what you can, we've tried to focus on just being our best every day and that doesn't change this weekend."
 
"It's a fun weekend for both sides, we have a lot of respect for them, know them very well and I would like to think it goes both ways. It's one of those weekends where you can set all the standings aside and focus on a really fun rivalry. It removes some of the need to think about what the consequences of the results are, because there is a lot of familiarity between the two teams, players that have grown up playing with and against each other."
 
On Madison Penn
"She's different and we have a lot to deal with playing against her, but over the last couple of weekends we've faced some pretty dominant players in Mestres and Mongomo. They are all big guards who are really athletic and can create things for themselves, so although Penn is her own player with her own strengths, at least we have some background in having to deal with dominant, big guards."
 
"We need everybody to be themselves. Nobody has to miraculously come up with a different way to play, they just need to come in, work hard and find ways to contribute. If the 12th player in the rotation in contributing in some way, that is going to help the people who are carrying more of the load."
 
"Amira and Kristy are supremely talented and have worked hard to get to this point in their career, but it makes it easier for them if they don't have to do everything. Everybody has done a great job of understanding their role, accepting their role and then performing in their role."
 
Game Info
Thursday, Feb. 1 – 6:00 p.m. – vs. UBC T-Birds, CARSA Performance Gym – Watch live on canadawest.tv | Buy tickets at govikesgo.com
Friday, Feb. 2 – 6:00 p.m. – at UBC T-Birds, Vancouver, B.C. – Watch live on canadawest.tv 

UBC T-Birds (10-8)
Canada West Standings: t-7th
RPI: .5327, 8th
PF: 1147
PA: 1145
Last Week: 2-0
Streak: W 6
Last Canada West Title: 2014-15
Last U SPORTS Title: 2006-08